An Afghan campaigner championing the rights of women and children to have an education in her homeland and the architects of a historic peace pact between Armenia and Azerbaijan were on Monday named winners of the UAE's annual $1 million humanitarian prize.
Zarqa Yaftali was honoured with the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity for her crucial work to provide educational resources, psychological support and other community services to more than 100,000 people in Afghanistan against the backdrop of strict Taliban rule.
The global prize – which was established after the late Pope Francis's landmark visit to the UAE in 2019 – has also recognised the signing of a deal last year aimed at end decades of conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, neighbouring countries in the South Caucasus.
The 2026 prize winners are the first recipients from Afgha
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